chapter 16 : Before the Sky Screamed

In the heart of the silent mansion, veiled in shadow, Meedo sat shirtless on the floor, his body still and heavy with the weight of guilt. The soft rustle of the wind barely moved the old curtain. Before him lay a worn prayer rug — its colors faded by time but were pure in purpose.

He faced the qibla, took a deep breath, and raised his hands slowly.

"Allahu Akbar."

His voice cracked, low and fragile. With trembling fingers folded over his chest, he began to recite, each verse falling from his lips like a confession of the soul:

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,

The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

Master of the Day of Judgment.

You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.

Guide us to the Straight Path —

The path of those who have received Your grace;

Not the path of those who have gone astray."

Then came a short surah — whispered like a plea:

"Say: He is Allah, the One.

Allah, the Eternal.

He neither begets nor is born,

And there is none comparable to Him."

He bowed deeply. His forehead touched the earth — not just in obedience, but in surrender. When he rose again and whispered:

"Sami' Allahu liman hamidah... Rabbana laka al-hamd."

…he had no idea that death was now in the room.

From behind, a shadow crept silently across the floor.

Jack.

His footsteps were ghostlike, his expression hard, a blade clenched tightly in one hand — steel whispering of betrayal.

As Mido bent forward for his second rak'ah, Jack struck.

The blade found its mark.

Pressed against Mido's neck, it sliced across with brutal precision.

"Take this... you hypocrite," Jack hissed through clenched teeth.

Mido's body fell forward — limp, motionless.

Blood spilled quickly across the prayer rug.

It soaked into the fabric as if trying to hide the sin committed upon it.

Jack stepped back, his eyes wide, chest heaving.

"It's done," he muttered and vanished back into the shadows.

Silence.

Only the scent of iron hung in the air, thick and unforgiving.

The body on the rug did not move.

The blood still flowed.

But nothing else stirred.

As soon as Jack left the room, the door creaked open slowly.

Georgia appeared.

Her bold eyes locked onto the body lying motionless on the prayer rug, blood still quietly seeping into the fabric.

She stepped toward him with measured grace, her expression stone-cold—no tears, no hesitation.

Placing her foot on his back, she whispered darkly:

"If I can't have you… then neither will Serena."

She slipped off her red shawl and tossed it over his body, like a twisted farewell gift.

"A parting gift, for the man who rejected me."

Just before exiting, she paused at the door, and spoke with ice in her voice:

"I killed Kiki… not Agatha."

And then, she walked away.

In the hallway, she crossed paths with Sarah, who froze at the sight of Georgia—nearly bare, composed like a ghost in heat.

Georgia raised a brow in disbelief, her voice low:

"Did you… sleep with a woman?"

Sarah smirked. Said nothing.

Then—a loud slap. Sarah's hand struck Georgia's face with unfiltered rage.

"You're disgusting, Georgia."

But Georgia didn't flinch. She laughed—low, strange, and unnerving.

"That's what I love most about myself."

Sarah stormed into the room, heart pounding.

Her voice trembled with panic:

Mido? Are you here? Serena's looking for you…"

She crept toward him. His body lay still, blood drying along his neck. She knelt beside him, afraid to even touch him.

"Oh God… Don't tell me you're—"

Her voice cracked. Tears welled in her eyes.

But deep inside… something whispered:

This man hasn't said his final word.

The living room was dimly lit, heavy with the scent of tobacco and tension.

Christina lay on James's chest, her arms wrapped around his hands as if shielding herself from an oncoming storm. Her breath matched the rhythm of his heartbeat, and he absentmindedly ran his fingers through her hair as he lay still on the couch.

In the corner, Julia was speaking on the phone, but her voice was muted—just silent whispers that didn't reach the room.

In contrast, Serena paced back and forth like a lioness trapped in a cage. Her eyes were restless. Her lips trembled.

Serena (nervously):

"Maybe… maybe he's in her room. I'm going to to check."

James (lifting his head, calmly):

"Stop. Mido's not the kind of man who cheats."

Serena (barely above a whisper, gripped by doubt):

Christina :

Yes , he is right, perhaps he is tough and harsh but not a cheater .

Serena:

"But this is the Georgia we're talking about…"

Suddenly, the door burst open.

Sarah rushed in, her face pale, breath short and broken.

Sarah (voice cracking):

"Mido… I found him… lying there… he's not moving… there's so much blood…"

Silence gripped the room like a vise.

Julia dropped the phone. James sat up instantly. Christina gasped and covered her mouth.

Serena screamed:

"NO!!! That's a lie! Mido can't die!!"

She lunged toward Sarah, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"WHERE IS HE?!"

Before anyone could respond, the door swung again…

And Georgia walked in.

Half-naked, she wore Mido's coat, covering only the most private parts of her body—an eerie vision of a queen rising from the ashes of sin.

Serena's eyes widened with horror.

Serena:

"T-that's his coat… You slept with him… and killed him!"

Georgia (coolly):

"I wanted to sleep with him, yes… but I didn't kill him."

She looked around the room with disdain.

"You all did. Every one of you. When he needed kindness, you mocked him. When he tried to fix things, you fueled the fire."

The room went silent. Her words cut deeper than a blade.

Then…

Jack entered—his hand stained with blood, eyes filled with unease.

Jack:

"What's going on here?"

Sarah :

why you hand stained with blood?

Georgia stepped behind him, lifted her arm, and pointed directly at him.

"It was him… He killed Mido."

Gasps filled the air.

James shouted:

"What the hell are you saying?!"

Georgia (smiling like the devil's daughter):

"I saw it with my own eyes… He had the knife. He said he was sick of him."

Jack:

"She's lying! She—"

But he never finished.

Because a sound shattered the moment.

A scream.

It wasn't human.

It wasn't an animal.

It came from somewhere else—a chilling, foreign sound that felt like it tore through the very bones of the house.

Everyone froze.

Serena whispered:

"What… was that?"

Christina clutched James's arm:

"I swear… it felt like the Earth itself screamed."

Only Georgia… smiled.

A smile that didn't belong in this world.